In view of the shrinking malaria disease burden, and especially in low-risk areas, the country is establishing the requisite structures necessary to guide the implementation of sub-national malaria elimination. This is the first time the country has developed a strategic objective dedicated to Malaria elimination, and is in line with the Global Technical Strategy (GTS) to accelerate efforts towards elimination and attainment of malaria free status. It’s planned that the implementation of malaria elimination will begin sub nationally in targeted counties based on malaria incidence. Subsequently, this will be expanded to other areas. To achieve this objective, the following strategies are being implemented;
- Establish structures and capacity at the national and county levels to coordinate and drive the implementation of the elimination agenda;
- Develop capacity for malaria elimination;
- Establish active case detection, notification, investigation, and response systems for elimination in targeted counties;
- Strengthen quality assurance for diagnosis, treatment, and entomology to enhance surveillance;
- Strengthen communication and advocacy for malaria Elimination.
- Establishment and operationalization of national and county level coordinating structures (Taskforce/CoEs).
- Conduct readiness and needs assessment at national, county and sub-county levels (including laboratory).
- Learning Visits to regional Countries Implementing malaria elimination
- Establish and train national, county and sub-county teams.
- Develop and disseminate business plans, guidelines, training curricula and SOPs related to malaria elimination.
- Stakeholder engagement at national and county level for dissemination of Malaria elimination agenda in the select counties.
- Development of Messaging for Malaria Elimination.
- Conduct Econometric survey to inform advocacy for Malaria elimination.
Successful grant application to Global Fund NFM 3 where some activities were allocated resources. These include:
i. High level engagement with target elimination counties to sensitize & advocate for the malaria elimination agenda.
ii. Facilitate the establishment of County-level CoE and taskforce for Malaria elimination agenda.
iii. Conduct malaria elimination assessments in candidate counties (at sub-county level) .
iv. Undertake peer learning visits to two countries implementing malaria elimination programs for experience.
v. Conduct workshops to develop business plan, guidelines, training curriculum and SOPs for malaria elimination implementation.
vi. Design and print the business plan, guidelines and training curriculum.
vii. Establish and train national, county and subcounty malaria elimination teams.
viii. Provide Mentorship and Supervision of malaria elimination teams at both national and county levels.
ix. Conduct on-site training including practicum for health facility in-charges and health worker.
x. Strengthen passive and active case detection and notification systems in target elimination counties.
- Setting up of national structures to coordinate malaria elimination activities despite there being a 100% funding gap for the objective.
- Optimal political goodwill as HE the president of the republic of Kenya is the current Chair of ALMA and is a key malaria champion.
- Involvement of target malaria elimination county teams at the start of the implementation of malaria elimination agenda – They are members of the national malaria elimination CoE.
- Orientation of DNMP, target county teams (County malaria coordinators, County health records and information officers and county disease surveillance coordinators), stakeholders and CoE members on malaria elimination country requirements during which the team defined and prioritized the processes for malaria elimination as outlined in the draft malaria elimination implementation plan.
- Existing prevention and control interventions in the target counties upon which the malaria elimination implementation shall be anchored.
- Availability of seed funding from PMI, GF to support malaria elimination coordination, orientation of CoE, development of implementation plan, assessment, sensitization of counties.
- The national launch of Zero malaria starts with Me Campaign by HE president Kenyatta, in collaboration with the then Chair COG and Health Cabinet Secretary.
Commissioning of the Kenya Malaria Youth Army provides a platform for engaging the youths in malaria work, Kazi Mtaani Phase 3. - Established Kenya End Malaria Council / Funds whose mandate is to support the NMP in mobilizing their respective sectors in terms of resource mobilization, advocacy, action, and accountability as a way of supporting the NMP in addressing the bottlenecks while implementing the KMS Plan.